Gartenschau highlights four seasons

The Kaiserslautern Gartenschau, also known as dinosaur park, will re-open for the new season Saturday through Oct. 31, highlighting the motto, “The four seasons.”

“The Kaiserslautern Gartenschau existed ever since 2001. Locals are emotionally bound to it,” said Dr. Klaus Weichel, Kaiserslautern’s lord mayor during a recent press conference. “Gartenschau started out as the state garden fair in the year 2000, and since then, it developed to an event park with lots of activities.”

The Gartenschau features over 2 acres of gardens, including a rose garden, cactus garden, rhododendron garden, bible garden and dance garden.

Every month, new flower exhibitions will represent the four seasons in the flower hall. Besides flowers, visitors can enjoy exhibitions, activities, entertainment and dinosaurs.

“Last year we were able to welcome 500,000 visitors,” said David Lyle, chief of the integrated support aid iKL, in charge of Gartenschau Kaiserslautern.

“A special highlight will be the Lego exhibition with about 1 million building stones showing the local Stiftsplatz with its surrounding buildings, scenes from Star Wars, Ghostbusters and other setups,” Lyle said.

Like in recent years, the willow church on Kaiserberg hill will offer worship services at 11 a.m. Sundays as well as wedding and christening ceremonies. Also on Kaiserberg hill is an area to relax with a bare foot path consisting of 10 stations, that invite visitors for meditation.

Other attractions are the dinosaur models and several playgrounds with sliding tower, pirates ship, new play equipment, a skate rink, soccer field, beach volleyball field and the adventure miniature golf court in Neumühlepark.

The Gartenschau will also present numerous musical events, children’s programs, family fests, markets and guided tours.

Weichel and Lyle are both looking forward to the opening event, which takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday followed by the marching band Brass Appeal from Berlin and the opening of the “1,000,000 Stones for the City” exhibition. The first flower display will present “Easter Time” at 3 p.m. in the flower hall with guitar player Abbas Mashayekh.

Daily admission times are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and during German school breaks.

Daily tickets cost €7 for adults and €3 for children; a family ticket costs €17. Children up to 6 years old are free.
Season tickets for at least two adults and their children costs €45 for the whole season; the price for singles is €35. Customers of the Kaiserslautern City Works, SWK, get reduced prices. The Gartenschau ticket is also valid for the Japanese Garden, which is down the road on Lauterstrasse.

For details, visit www.gartenschau-kl.de, or facebook.de/gartenschau.kl,  or call 0631-71007-00.